Sacred Ground

“Why can’t you?” she asked.

“The will doesn’t permit it.”

“Mr. Zeke’s will?” Her eyes flashed. “That’s hard to believe. You are his heir, aren’t you?”

“Of course or I wouldn’t be here,” he said stiffly.

“You’re his heir and you can’t dispose of the property?” That didn’t sound reasonable to her.

“As I said, I can’t help you.” His voice was now formal and cool.

“Can’t or won’t? I’d hoped for more understanding and cooperation from Mr. Zeke’s relative.” She stood up. “I’m sorry to have wasted your time, Mr. Bell.”

Gabe escorted her to the door in silence, opened it and said, “Thank you for coming, Miss Gray.”

She felt him watching as she walked across the porch and down the steps, then got into her car.

What was she going to do now? She had to have that property.

Chapter 6

Gabe moved to the front window to watch Makima as she walked across the porch and down the steps. He could see the tension in her body and he knew he’d caused it.

He was sorry but there was nothing else he could have done. There was no way he could sell her any part of the property, not even one acre, much less five. He’d told her the will didn’t permit it and she’d had the gall to imply that she didn’t believe him, that he just didn’t want to consider her offer. That had made him angry.

She didn’t know him at all so where did she get off saying he was a liar?

He didn’t know her either but he’d listened to all she had to say about the clinic and had actually been impressed by her story. Losing her sister in such a senseless accident must have been terrible and he could understand how the need for the clinic arose out of it. He could only vaguely imagine how he’d feel if it had been Drew in that car!

The clinic would surely cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and he wondered how Makima and her partners could raise that much money. He dealt with funding in the state agency he worked for and he knew it wasn’t only the cost of getting a business up and running that one had to be concerned about. Keeping it running also cost money and that’s why many enterprises folded after a year or two.

That would be a worse scenario for the clinic than if they didn’t get it started in the first place. Had she thought about that?

He didn’t see why she’d fixated on this property. There had to be other acres in Grayson on which the clinic could be built that would be just as convenient for the community as this was. But no, Miss Makima Gray had apparently made a unilateral decision for this spot and had bullied the people she was working with to accept it.

He could have told her the details of the will but he didn’t see why he had to. That was his private business.

He needed to warn Drew not to talk about it, especially now that he’d met Jeff. It could slip out in a casual remark about them being here for only three months and Jeff could mention it to his sister, who would tell Makima’s brother and the damage would be done.

The hardheaded woman would just have to deal with what he’d told her—that the will permitted no sale.

The next morning Gabe was beating eggs for an omelet while Drew made toast when there was a knock at the back door.

A gray-haired man wearing a sweater stuck his head in the door. “Can I come in?”

Gabe said, “You’re just in time for breakfast. I’m Gabe Bell and this is my brother, Drew.”

“Sam Williams is my name and I’m your neighbor directly across the street.” They shook hands and Sam pulled out a chair at the table and made himself comfortable. “That omelet looks good but I’ll have to pass it up. I’ll join you for some coffee and toast. Zeke and I had coffee together most mornings, you know.”

Sam had sharp eyes and a round face that sported a short gray beard, which Gabe noted was neatly trimmed. He appeared to be in his late seventies.

Gabe served the omelet, poured coffee for Sam and himself and milk for Drew. “How about some fruit to go with your toast, Mr. Williams?”

“Call me Sam. No fruit. I have it later in the day or it upsets my stomach.” His eyes twinkled. “Digestive system isn’t what it used to be.”

He tasted his coffee. “You make a good cup of coffee, Gabe, I’m glad to say. Can’t stand it weak. Heard the two of you caused quite a stir at church yesterday. Sorry I wasn’t there to meet you but this is better. Always good to meet people across a table, you know.” He twinkled at Drew. “You remember that, young Drew. Now, how old are you?”

“I’ll be sixteen in a few months, Mr. Williams.” Listening to this interesting neighbor, Drew had slowed his usual eating pace.

“Growing so fast you’re going to be right up there with your brother in a few years. Bet you can’t buy the groceries fast enough,” he told Gabe.

His good humor made even Drew laugh, especially since he was pouring himself another tall glass of milk. “I’m thinking of putting him out to work to earn his keep,” Gabe said just to see what Drew’s reaction would be.

“Zeke was a smart man, you know,” Sam said. “He grew most of the food him and Sarah ate. Had a garden every year and began one this year. Guess you’ve seen it. When we’re through here I’ll show it to you, young Drew, and tell you what you need to do to keep it going so you can put some food on this table.”

The idea seemed to appeal to Drew. “Okay,” he said.

I like this neighbor, Gabe thought, and waited to see what Sam would put him through. He took a bite of omelet and sipped his coffee.

Sam started in a roundabout way while enjoying his breakfast. “Zeke and I were alike in not having the pleasure of seeing our kids grown and having kids of their own. His daughter, Elizabeth, only lived a few months. Robert died at twenty when a horse threw him while Edward went up to New York and disappeared. It wasn’t until years later that Zeke found out he’d died of tuberculosis and left two sons.”

Gabe forgot to eat, immersed in this picture of his father’s family of which he’d known nothing all these years.

“Since you and Drew are Bells, I take it that Edward Bell was your grandfather?”

“Apparently, but we never knew about him,” Gabe said.

“Your father’s name was?”

“Booker,” Gabe and Drew said in unison.

An expression of satisfaction was clear on Sam’s face and as Gabe poured more hot coffee, he warned himself to be vigilant because Sam appeared to be an expert at drawing information out of you. Therefore Gabe would offer only what he didn’t mind everyone knowing about the conditions of the will. He’d no idea what Great-Grandfather might have confided to Sam. He only knew what he wasn’t going to confide.

“Drew, I think I’d like another piece of toast to go with this good coffee,” Sam said. Drew got up to replenish the toast supply and Sam asked Gabe, “You’d be about thirty-five or so?”

“You hit it on the head exactly.”

“Single?”

“So far.”

“Your parents?”

“Both deceased.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Gabe and Drew. I thought maybe they were since they weren’t down here with you.”

The sincerity in his voice was unmistakable and Gabe found no false note in it.